SASKATOON: March 21, 2017—The International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII), in partnership with Innovation Enterprise at the University of Saskatchewan, and in collaboration with the research and innovation offices at the University of Regina and Saskatchewan Polytechnic, is helping to organize the first AIMday® (Academia Industry Meeting day) in North America. AIMday® Minerals 2017 will be held in Saskatoon, at Innovation Place, on March 22, 2017.
The goal of this one-day event is to increase interaction between industry and academic researchers by focusing on specific industry R&D challenges with an aim to identify pathways to innovative solutions. “This is about pulling research expertise out of the academic partners in our innovation ecosystem”, says Al Shpyth, Executive Director of the IMII. “It is a great opportunity for researchers to interact with industry representatives and hear firsthand about the challenges they are facing, and a great opportunity for the minerals industry to identify researchers who may be able to help advance innovations, through R&D, that matter to industry”.
About AIMday®
AIMday® was originally initiated and successfully developed by Uppsala University. The meeting day is structured around R&D questions submitted by companies. These questions form the basis for company-led discussions with academics from various disciplines. A structured one-hour discussion around each question allows for industry representatives and academics to assess whether they can work together on finding a solution to the challenge presented by the company.
The University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina and Saskatchewan Polytechnic, representing the research capacity that exists in Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions, are academic partners in AIMday® Minerals 2017.
About IMII
The International Minerals Innovation Institute is a unique innovation supporting network of mining companies, government departments and agencies, and post-secondary institutions, jointly funded by industry and government. It exists to deliver innovations that matter to mining in Saskatchewan.